This invention relates to the control of water flow, and more particularly to controlling the time during which water can be used for bathing. Running water through a shower for an excessive time wastes both water and the fuel needed to heat the water. This can occur when someone spends too much time bathing, or when a shower is left running after the bather has departed. Prior attempts to control the time spent bathing with timers have been deficient in that they could be defeated simply by re-starting a timer as soon as it had shut off the water.